Getty Sebastian Joseph-Day and the Los Angeles Rams surprised one area high school football head coach and his program on June 14 in the form of a generous donation.
Sebastian Joseph-Day doesn’t shy away from being in a giving mood. After all, the Los Angeles Rams fourth-year nose tackle has sent money to help provide meals for those in need since April of 2020, from Houston children who endured a severe winter storm to helping provide meals to local frontline workers during the pandemic.
Now, Joseph-Day’s latest donation surprised an area high school football head coach and his program from East Los Angeles.
On June 14, the 6-foot-4, 310-pound defender joined a Zoom meeting with Garfield High head coach Lorenzo Hernandez. The Rams named Hernandez their High School Coach of the Year for helping navigate his team through COVID-19 this past season. But along with the award came a nice surprise announced by Joseph-Day.
“The Rams want to award you and the football team $5,550 in support of your upcoming season this year,” Joseph-Day said at the 40 second mark of the video. “Congratulations coach. Well deserved. Congratulations to all you guys. You guys deserve it. You guys are killing it. Keep up the great work.”
Hernandez’s Reaction to the Donation
Hernandez, who has more than two decades of leading young men at Garfield High on the gridiron, showed his gratitude toward the donation.
“Thank you to everyone at the Rams’ organization for giving us this opportunity to really showcase what our program is about. And also the amazing partnership not only that you guys have with our school, but our district. I’m sure we’re going to use those funds to continue to develop our program and take care of our kids and our community,” Hernandez told Joseph-Day. “So on behalf of myself and our administration and our district, I just want to say thank you to the Rams for always being there for our community and our student-athletes as we move forward.”
Hernandez has won a dozen Eastern League titles in his 20 years there. But he’s also a CIF ring holder as well, winning the L.A. City Section’s 3A title in 2007 and the Southern California State 4A championship in 2018 with the Bulldogs.
According to his LinkedIn page, Hernandez has taught at Garfield High since August of 1999. Outside of coaching football, he’s taught P.E. on campus and serves as the school’s assistant athletic director.
“While at Garfield, I have had the pleasure of serving thousands of students to develop life long fitness skills and sport fundamental techniques, while implementing the CA state physical education standards,” Hernandez’s bio reads. “It is my pleasure to serve the students of Garfield HS and the East L.A. Community. Go BULLDOGS!”
Joseph-Day Shares Advice to Bulldog players
Joseph-Day didn’t just speak to coach Hernandez during the Zoom call. Members of the Garfield football team got the opportunity to join a Q and A session with him.
Joseph-Day shared his football journey, including battling through a hand injury that he described “shattered” at Rutgers which eventually lowered his draft stock. He wound up falling in the sixth round of the 2018 draft. However, he’s since worked his way to starter on the Rams’ defensive line while wrecking havoc with Aaron Donald, A’Shawn Robinson and his former teammate Michael Brockers by overcoming both his broken hand injury and falling in the draft.
“That’s why I love the game of football so much. It teaches you how to persevere through those moments and how to get back up when you get knocked down,” Joseph-Day told the kids. “There have been so many moments where you feel like you want to quit, you feel like, ‘Man I don’t want to do this anymore,’ but you don’t [quit], and all that translates to real life.”
His final message to the kids was: “Life’s going to throw some hard things at you, just don’t give up. It’s all about your attitude and perspective. Remember, y’all are more than football players. Keep doing what you’re doing, and success will find you beyond the field.”